Hi!~ may i ask you guys what you using for cleaning rims????

I use soap, water and a soft brush. If you clean them every couple of weeks, the brake dust comes right off.

Alan

I got laughed at by some a while back for this but - I wax all my alloy (aluminum)-wheeled cars when I get them or new wheels and that really helps get the brake dust off. :thumbsup:

It is a little anal but it works very nicely. :D

Other than that, once a week or at most 2 weeks for cleaning the wheels. I use the same method as BiggerTwin. :D

Wax and use soap and water every week and you will be fine. If it gets bad use whitewall cleaner its in a red and white bottle I'm not sure if that is the exact name or not?:thumbsup:

Originally posted by jeffj78
I got laughed at by some a while back for this but - I wax all my alloy (aluminum)-wheeled cars when I get them or new wheels and that really helps get the brake dust off. :thumbsup:

It is a little anal but it works very nicely. :D

Other than that, once a week or at most 2 weeks for cleaning the wheels. I use the same method as BiggerTwin. :D

You're not anal, at all. I do the same thing! :eek: Also, I've never had a problem with breakdust, either.

- Speedi

Speedi,

Good to hear I am not the only one...

I think the brake dust is related to how hard and how much you brake.

On a good day, the highway will be open so I won't have to stop that much but on others days or on route to visit a client, hard stop and go traffic is the norm.

Does anyone notice the same type of relationship between the two? I have also heard that it can be the brake pad material... I may be purchasing from TireRack next year;) .

Jeff

I try to use the engine brake as much as possible although I am not sure if this works to prevent the wheels from getting dirty:???:

I use a Zaino Z-2 polish (wax) on the wheels and a anti-static gloss enhancer after each wash. Cleaning seems to be much easier than without the polish on the surface.

I use a car wash detergent for washing the wheels. My dealer suggested a BMW's wheel cleaner but I noticed that it contained KOH which removes the wax completely. Sal from Zaino suggested not to use anything that you would not use on the car body. He also suggested to take care of the wheels more often than the car body itself because they get abused pretty hard by sizzling hot brake dusts while driving.

:beer:

Originally posted by jeffj78
Speedi,

Good to hear I am not the only one...

I think the brake dust is related to how hard and how much you brake.

On a good day, the highway will be open so I won't have to stop that much but on others days or on route to visit a client, hard stop and go traffic is the norm.

Does anyone notice the same type of relationship between the two? I have also heard that it can be the brake pad material... I may be purchasing from TireRack next year;) .

Jeff

Yes, the gray build-up is just that, brake dust. My Benz does the same thing... at about the same rate, it would seem, except it's more obvious on the MB because the wheels are a lighter gray color. I guess the good thing is that the dust seems to be real evenly distributed :roll: so it's tough to "tell" it's there until it's nice and caked on.

Regardless, brake does is bad for wheels. I would not recommend leaving it on there for more than 1 week at a time, when being driven daily.

- Speedi

Originally posted by MKS02M3
I try to use the engine brake as much as possible although I am not sure if this works to prevent the wheels from getting dirty:???:

Sal from Zaino suggested not to use anything that you would not use on the car body. He also suggested to take care of the wheels more often than the car body itself because they get abused pretty hard by sizzling hot brake dusts while driving.

:beer:

You know, as the saying goes, brake pads are cheaper than clutches. Just keep it in mind when using the engine to brake, during daily every-day driving.

Yes, my wheels are treated just like the rest of the painted surfaces on my car. Washed and waxed... as they should be. As a matter of fact, any surface that it PAINTED should all be treated in the same way... this includes under the deck-lid, under the hood, in the door jams, under both side of the car, etc.

- Speedi

What about those hard to come off brake dust residues? What should I use to get rid of them. I really want this stuff gone..


98 M3. As stock as I really like it to be.

I use car soap and an old mitt...and clean/protect with Klasse all in one a couple times a year...

this is going to the detailing section :D

when really dirty, I use P21s followed by wheel wax

What about those hard to come off brake dust residues? What should I use to get rid of them. I really want this stuff gone..

98 M3. As stock as I really like it to be.

I used Maguires Cleaner/Wax Liquid... the cheap stuff at WalMart... in a burgundy container. Of course, only use it on the painted surface and not on the "chromed/aluminum" areas. Depending on how long it's been on there, you'll need to put some muscle into it... and it may take more than 1 application, but it will come off.

I bought some OEM 19's off a guy and I spent about an hour scrubbing those friggin' wheels with wax. What people don't understand is that just taking a few moments to wash inbetween those spokes goes a long way in preventing that insane build-up.